Around 1,38,899, people from India are Mars-bound. They have 'booked' a flight to the Mars via Nasa's InSight (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) mission slated for launch on May 5, 2018. NASA states that those who submitted their names were provided online 'boarding passes' for the mission.

The names are being etched on a silicon wafer microchip using an electron beam to form letters with lines one one-thousandth the diameter of a human hair. This chip will then be attached to the top hull of the lander.

Several Indians responded to Nasa's call for names for the Mars mission. The total number of names received by Nasa from all over the world is 2,429,807. The first is the US with 6,76,773 names followed by China with 2,62,752 names. India stands at number three.

Source: NASA, Times of India